From the history of the restoration of artistic furniture in Russia. Some facts of the activity of the Office of the Court Quartermaster at the Imperial Court in the 19th century

Abstract

The article examines the activities of the Office of the Court Quartermaster which was founded to preserve and keep in order furniture and other decorative objects of the imperial palaces in the XIX century. The documents describing the requirements for maintaining furniture as well as the duties of those responsible for the preserving palace property are outlined. The Commissary of Furniture department was in charge of interior decoration. His job description included criteria which he was supposed to apply in order to maintain palace furniture; the type and frequency of the restoration tasks. The work itself was carried out by artisans from the Artisan Company. The article exemplifies types of such tasks. Of special importance are the documents that reveal the frequency of restoration work. In order to supply the Artisan Company with qualified personnel, a school for the children of artisans employed by the Office of the Court Quartermaster was created. The principles and methods used in the school for practical training of craftsmen are studied in the article. A special attention is paid to the forms of upbringing and selection of pupils in accordance with their aptitudes. The craftsmen of the Office of the Court Quartermaster were unable to undertake all the tasks of maintaining in proper condition the entire palace property. To carry out works to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters the Office hired independent masters by tender. Their activities are outlined in the documents describing various kinds of work on the preservation of palace property. In addition, independent masters received commissions for furniture items to complete palace interiors. As an example of such task, the design drawing of a pier glass for Peterhof Palace is presented, which shows a new eclectic approach to designing and manufacturing furniture. The article is based on the study and analysis of archival documents, many of which are published for the first time.